Home Buying Starts With the Numbers
See What Home Price May Fit Your Budget.
Share a few basic details and I'll help you understand what price range, monthly payment and financing options may be worth exploring.
- Takes about 1–2 minutes
- No obligation
- Estimates are fine
Prefer to ask a question first? Call 786-385-1325 or message me on WhatsApp.
See What May Fit in 3 Short Steps
About 1–2 minutes · No obligation
Thank you. Your information was sent.
I'll review your buying plans and financial snapshot and follow up with you directly to talk through a realistic price range and the financing paths that may be worth exploring.
Simple, Low-Pressure Process
What Happens After I Submit?
No pressure and no surprises. Here's how it works.
Tell Me About Your Goals
You share the basic information above: where you want to buy, your timing and a quick financial snapshot.
Review Your Options
I review your information and help you understand a realistic purchase-price and payment range, along with financing paths that may fit.
Start Shopping With a Plan
When you're ready, we can move into a formal mortgage qualification process and focus your home search on properties that fit your goals.
This process does not guarantee loan approval or a specific loan amount. Formal qualification depends on documentation, credit review and lender underwriting.
Your Next Step
Where Are You in the Buying Process?
Start wherever makes sense for you. Each path leads to the same goal: a home that fits.
Get Prequalified
You're already in the right place. Answer a few quick questions to start understanding what price range and payment may fit.
Back to the Form ↑Find a Home
Tell me what you're looking for and I'll help focus your South Florida home search around your location, property and budget priorities.
Find a Home →Renting vs. Buying
Still deciding whether buying makes sense? Compare renting with homeownership before signing another lease.
Compare Renting vs. Buying →Learn Before You Decide
Buyer Guides & Resources
Straightforward information to help you understand the buying process before making a decision.
Monthly Budget Calculator
Start with a monthly payment you're comfortable with and see an estimated home price range. It's an educational planning tool, not a loan approval.
First-Time Homebuyer Guide
Coming soonThe steps, terms and decisions to expect the first time you buy.
How Much Home Can I Afford?
Coming soonHow income, debts, down payment and monthly costs shape a realistic price range.
Understanding Down Payments
Coming soonCommon minimums by loan type, where the money can come from and how it affects your payment.
Closing Costs Explained
Coming soonWhat closing costs typically include and how they may be covered or negotiated.
Credit & Home Buying
Coming soonHow credit ranges can affect loan options and pricing, and what may help before you apply.
Mortgage Prequalification vs. Preapproval
Coming soonWhat each one means, what gets verified and when you'll want each.
What to Expect During the Home Buying Process
Coming soonFrom the first conversation to closing day, step by step.
Home Inspection Guide
Coming soonWhat an inspection covers, what it doesn't and how to use the report.
Appraisal Guide for Buyers
Coming soonWhy lenders order appraisals and what can happen if the value comes in low.
Making an Offer on a Home
Coming soonPrice, terms and contingencies, and how to make an informed, competitive offer.
Have a question one of these guides will answer? Ask me on WhatsApp or call 786-385-1325.
Know Your Numbers First
Why Start With Prequalification?
Prequalification isn't a promise or a commitment. It's a starting point: a clearer picture of where you stand, so the rest of the home search involves less guesswork.
Review My Buying Power- Focus on realistic price rangesSpend your time on homes that fit instead of guessing.
- Understand the monthly paymentPrincipal, interest, taxes, insurance and any HOA dues all count.
- Estimate the cash you'll needPlan ahead for the down payment and closing costs.
- Spot financing questions earlyCredit, income or debt questions are easier to address before you're under contract.
- Be ready when the right home appearsPreparation helps you act with confidence when you find the right home.
- Stay within your planKnowing your numbers keeps you from falling for homes that don't fit the budget.
Buyer Options
Think You Need 20% Down? Not Always.
Many buyers assume they need 20% before they can even start. Depending on eligibility, the property and the loan program, lower down-payment options may be available.
As little as 3% down for eligible buyers
Some conventional programs offer lower down-payment options. Putting down less than 20% typically means paying private mortgage insurance.
Worth exploring for some buyers
FHA financing generally starts at 3.5% down for borrowers who meet its credit requirements. FHA loans include mortgage insurance premiums.
No down payment for eligible borrowers
Eligible veterans, service members and certain surviving spouses may be able to buy with no down payment, subject to entitlement and lender requirements.
Help with cash to close may exist
State, county and local programs may help eligible buyers with down-payment or closing-cost funds. Income limits, price limits and funding availability vary.
Loan programs, interest rates, terms, eligibility, property requirements and underwriting guidelines vary and can change. Nothing on this page is a commitment to lend or a guarantee of approval. The simplest way to see which options may be worth exploring for you is the short form above.
Review My Buying PowerReal Estate · Valuation · Financing
Buying a Home Involves More Than Finding a Property.
A good purchase decision connects three questions. I help you look at all three together.
Does the home fit your needs?
Layout, condition, location and how the property fits the way you live, now and a few years from now.
How does the price compare with the market?
Recent comparable sales, condition and features help put an asking price in context before you make an offer.
How does the purchase fit your financial picture?
Monthly payment, cash to close and loan options considered alongside the property, not after it.
As a Florida Real Estate Broker, Certified Residential Appraiser and Mortgage Loan Originator, I look at a purchase from each of these angles. That background doesn't change how lenders underwrite loans or how appraisers value homes, and it doesn't guarantee a particular loan, appraisal result or purchase price. What it does mean is that the important questions get asked early, in one conversation.
Real estate services through Lifestyle International Realty. Mortgage services through Bold Mortgage, NMLS 386834. Appraisal services are not offered through this website.
Common Questions
Questions Buyers Usually Ask
Short, straightforward answers before you get started.
Does this form pull my credit?
No. Submitting this initial form does not authorize a credit pull, so it does not affect your credit. If a credit report is later needed for a formal prequalification, preapproval or mortgage application, that step and your authorization will be explained separately before anything happens.
Do I need to provide my Social Security number?
No. This form does not ask for your Social Security number. Please do not include it, or any bank account or other account numbers, anywhere in the form.
Is this a mortgage application?
No. It's an initial information request so we can begin evaluating what price range and financing options may be worth exploring. It is not a loan application, a preapproval or a commitment to lend. A formal application, with its own disclosures and authorizations, comes later only if you decide to move forward.
What if I don't know my exact credit score?
That's fine. Choose the range that seems closest, or select “Not sure.” An estimate is all that's needed to start the conversation.
Do I need 20% down?
Not always. Depending on eligibility and the loan program, lower down-payment options may be available. Some conventional programs allow as little as 3% down for eligible buyers, FHA financing generally starts at 3.5% down for borrowers who meet its credit requirements, and VA loans may allow eligible borrowers to buy with no down payment. Requirements vary by program, property and borrower.
What if I'm not ready to buy immediately?
That's completely fine. Many buyers start months ahead. Understanding the numbers early can help you plan savings, work on credit questions and set a realistic timeline.
Can you also help me find the home?
Yes. As a Florida real estate broker, I can help you search for and evaluate homes. You can tell me what you're looking for on the Find a Home page.
I'm currently renting. How do I know if buying makes sense?
Start by comparing what you pay in rent with what owning may cost, including taxes, insurance and maintenance. The Renters to Buyers page walks through that comparison, and renting may still be the right choice for now.
Who reviews my information?
I review it personally. I'm a Mortgage Loan Originator (NMLS 2724460) working with Bold Mortgage (NMLS 386834) and a Florida Real Estate Broker (BK3201605). Your information is used to respond to your request. See our Privacy Policy.
Ready to See What May Fit?
It takes about 1–2 minutes, and there's no obligation.
Review My Buying Power
About Erick
Real Estate, Valuation & Financing Perspective in One Conversation.
I'm Erick Vargas. I've worked in South Florida real estate and residential valuation for more than 20 years. As a Florida Real Estate Broker, Certified Residential Appraiser and Mortgage Loan Originator, I help buyers connect the property decision with the financing decision, so the home you choose and the payment you take on make sense together.